The Wedding
by PipBernadotte13
Summary: After months of planning Winry and Ed finally tie the knot. An emotional and heartfelt day awaits full of joy and sorrow.


As Winry slipped on her wedding dress for the last time she took a moment to admire the gown. - It had belonged to her mother, at first this fact had brought Winry to tears but now it served as a reminder of the loving parental memories she still had locked away. - The dress was pure white, like the down of a swan's feathers, and the bodice was corseted and covered in an intricate lace pattern that looked as if a snowy scene had materialized into fabric. The lace continued down across her arms in a sheer and fitted style that only slacked about the wrists, which gave the gown an older Victorian era appearance. Winry saw the dress and although she had, had her share of tears at the memories attached to it, she couldn't help but choke up a little at the wish that her mother could be beside her to see it too. However, before the emotions could fully set in, a knock was heard at her bedroom door and she called for the visitor to come in without asking to see who it was.

"Winry, I have to say, a slacker like Ed really doesn't deserve someone as beautiful as you", Izumi said waltzing into the room with a smirk on her face. Winry truly looked breathtaking in her mother's gown.

"Oh, Izumi, Ed didn't tell me you were coming", Winry said surprised by Ed and Alphonse's teacher's sudden appearance, and then she blushed a deep shade of red, "Not that that's a bad thing…I'm just surprised is all!"

Izumi chuckled clear and loud which shocked the young bride-to-be, "Yah that sounds about right, Alphonse invited me, he didn't think Ed would have the courage to ask me himself."

"Oh, well that makes sense, but where's Sig?"

"I think he's out saying hello to Ed right about now, he said something about wanting to give the groom a proper greeting," Izumi said with a dark smile across her face. Suddenly a loud yell was heard that sounded like the former Fullmetal Alchemist's voice which sent Winry rushing to the window to see what was going on.

Edward's head was barely visible beyond the bulging muscles of Sig and Major Armstrong, as the two well built males practically crushed Ed in between their arms in a huge bear hug. The only sounds Audible where the shrieks of Edward telling the Major and Sig to let him go and the heroic sounding words of good fortune coming from the Major, as tears poured down his face and an onslaught of sparkles surrounded the trio.

"They certainly cause a fuss don't they?" Winry giggled at the unfortunate situation her soon to be husband was being held captive to.

"I suppose you should be used to it by now, seeing as you've put up with Edward and Alphonse for all these years."

Winry just smiled and blushed at all the good and bad memories Ed, Al and she had shared over the years. Reveling in all the stupidity the boys had gotten themselves into which had constantly kept her worried and scared, but now seemed like a distant memory.

"I didn't come up here just to say hi, though I must say it is good to see you," Izumi broke into Winry's brief frolic through memory lane, bringing the young girl down to earth.

"Oh no, what's wrong?" Winry said, instantly nervous.

Izumi smiled, "Nothing's wrong, I brought something to give you, well it's not mine really but she asked me to give it to you just the same." Izumi pulled out a velvet pouch and handed it to the young girl.

Winry looked at the sack and wondered what it could be. She reached inside and pulled out its contents, which set her eyes wide and her mouth agape.

"Who is this from?" Winry asked in disbelief as she fingered the red sapphire jewels embedded in the intricately woven silver hair comb, it looked as if it would be heavy but in contrast it was light and had a similar pattern to the one embroidered on her dress.

"Maes Hughes," Izumi said with a lighthearted smile starting at her lips and working its way into her normally strong and reserved eyes.

Winry's eyes grew wider and she could feel tears of both joy and sorrow prick against their edges which threatened to ruin her makeup. "But, when did he..." Winry started to say but her words caught in her throat.

Izumi looked at a picture of Ed, Al and Winry as children that was hanging on an adjacent wall. "Mrs. Hughes said that Maes thought you would make a good wife and he wanted to make sure that he could contribute to that day when you finally tied the knot, so he asked her if you could borrow the comb she wore in her hair for their wedding. This was one of the last things he said to his wife before he was killed so she wanted to make sure his request didn't go unfulfilled." Izumi said rather sorrowfully. She hadn't known the man personally, but Ed and Al always seemed saddened by his memory so she had a hunch that Winry's feelings weren't very far from the boys'.

When Izumi looked back at Winry, the girl's makeup had almost completely melded into a streaky black mess across her cheeks which dripped down onto her chest coming dangerously close to touching the dress.

Izumi rushed over, handkerchief in hand and blotted the makeup that had leaked onto the girl's bosom and wiped away the mess on her face. The tears continued to flow though and all that Izumi could do was hold Winry and wipe away her tears, she didn't know what to say to calm the young auto mail mechanic's sobs.

When Winry started to feel her cries dissipate she lifted herself from Izumi's arms and smiled weakly. The kindness that Mr. Hughes had shown her was always so warm and overwhelming but this act of caring had made Winry wish the man could see her walk down the aisle side by side with his wife and daughter.

"I'll be ok now Izumi, thank you," Winry said daintily in a vulnerable voice she wasn't used to showing other people.

"Good, now no more tears, this is your wedding day after all," Izumi beamed at the young girl.

Suddenly there was a gentle knock on the door, "Yoo hoo, Winry its almost time for the big show are you all ready?" Mr. Garfiel's voice musically drifted in from the hall.

Winry looked in the mirror and began to panic. The makeup Mr. Garfiel had spent an hour doing earlier in the day was now a complete disaster and looked like a massacred mess of its former beauty.

Knowing that he would have to see it sooner or later and that time was of the essence considering the wedding was scheduled to start in less than forty minutes, Winry reluctantly asked Mr. Garfiel to come in. However, Winry made sure that she was facing away from the door so she could break the news to him gently.

"What's the matter darling, you sound nervous, getting cold feet are we?"

"Uh, Mr. Garfiel there is something I need to tell you…." Winry said beating around the bush a little so as not to make him upset so quickly and pay for it later.

"What is it dear, you can tell me anything," Mr. Garfiel said happily, blissfully unaware of the disaster scene painted on Winry's face just across the room.

"Ok, don't be mad…but my makeup got a little messed up"

His smile instantly disappeared. "What do you mean a little?" He said crossing the room in less than four steps and turned Winry around sharply so she was facing him.

His eyes went wide and his jaw was taut, "I see then, you certainly keep me busy don't you Winry?" He sighed and became serious. "Alright, I need complete concentration to fix this in time for the wedding so I'm sorry Mrs. Curtis but you are going to have to leave." He motioned to Izumi, who had been standing awkwardly in the corner, to exit the room.

The teacher didn't spare a second rushing out of what was soon to be a feminine battleground and closed the door behind her.

Mr. Garfiel stepped back to look at Winry's face, but the distance didn't make the sight any less disastrous and with a sigh he pulled out a cloth and a container of makeup remover and set to work.

…..an entire box of cosmetics and a curler later…..

Winry emerged from her room with a rather proud looking Mr. Garfiel just behind her. She had her hair done up in a half-updo with curls spilling down on the side of her face which framed her gentle jaw line. Her make-up was done in a subdued smoky-eye look that made her blue eyes pop, with crème colored skin only tinted by the pale pink streaks of blush across her cheek bones and full crimson lips that matched the comb's Sapphires that was now encircled by the curls in her blonde hair.

Pinako, who had been waiting outside the door for her granddaughter, almost dropped her pipe when she saw Winry. She looked just like her mother had all those years ago.

Winry smiled at her grandmother, and for once was carefree, with the only thoughts in her mind about the trip she would soon make across the runner set up in the field beyond the house.

"Are you ready Grams?" Winry said eagerly with butterflies rushing in her stomach.

"As ready as I'll ever be," Pinako said with a smile full of pride across her face. "Your parents would be very proud of you if they could see you today."

Winry smiled, this time no sadness leaked through her joy. "Thanks Grams."

"Alright then, let's get this show on the road," Mr. Garfiel said excitedly.

The small group consisting of Mr. Garfiel, Pinako, and Winry left the house and headed towards the mass of people gathered in the seats that had been set up in the field. It was 7 O'clock and the sun was just beginning to set, sending streaks of pink and orange to cover the skies and make Winry glow against the green background of her hometown. Mr. Garfiel made sure to block the view of Winry from the waiting crowd until the very last moment when they had finally reached the runner.

The traditional wedding song began to play from the local band's instruments and Elysia Hughes, who had been chosen as the flower girl, began to walk down the aisle with a Popsicle grin on her face and threw pink flower petals down across the white runner. There was no ring bearer or a bridesmaid or a best man, only Elysia was going to walk down the aisle before Winry. When she reached the end of her walk she looked up at a rather nervous looking Edward and smiled at him before scampering off to sit with her mother, Alphonse and Mei.

Edward had been nervous all day, wanting to marry Winry and loving her was one thing but going through with it was more nerve racking than fighting with a homunculus. He had been averting his eyes from looking down the aisle so he hadn't seen Winry arrive and had barely paid attention while Elysia came skipping towards him.

Ed took a deep breath and with as courageous a face as he could muster he looked past all his friends and family that had come to see them on their wedding day and found Winry's eyes. As soon as he saw her, his heart filled with warmth and he could barely keep his jaw from hitting the floor.

He had always thought Winry was pretty, ever since they were little, but for the first time he thought she was beautiful. From her glowing blonde hair to the bottom hem of her gown he couldn't help but have his breath taken away by who was soon to be his wife.

Before he realized what he was doing a tear of joy passed down his cheek and landed on his lapel. He quickly reached up and wiped away any trace that it had ever existed but everyone had seen the emotional response to his bride's appearance and they were touched by it. This made Ed blush furiously and Winry giggle under her breath. That is how the two met at the aisle, blushing and completely nervously-happy.

The local town minister welcomed the congregation and the couple and began with the ceremony. Ed and Winry had opted for the traditional vows and waited through the ceremony, appropriately answering each question posed until the finally.

"Do you, Winry Rockbell, take Edward Elric to be your lawfully wedded husband in sickness and in health, for richer or for poor as long as you both shall live?"

Winry looked deep into Ed's eyes and with a beaming and loving smile said with all her voice, "I do!"

"And do you, Edward Elric, take Winry Rockbell to be your lawfully wedded wife in sickness and in health, for richer or for poor as long as you both shall live?"

Edward looked at Winry and even though he was terrified he inhaled deeply, closed his eyes and with as serious a face as he could manage (so serious it was laughable) he shouted "I do!"

Then Edward let out a deep sigh and it felt as if a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. He had done it, he had married the woman he loved.

"Then by the power invested in me by the country of Amestris, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You way now kiss the bride."

Edward stepped forward and in one sweeping motion he encircled Winry's waist with his arms and gently pressed his lips to her's for the first time as a married couple. And the throng of friends and family that had come to see them cheered and clapped even after the two had separated their kiss. Hand in hand Mr. and Mrs. Elric ran down the aisle and were showered by rice as they raced towards a car that had "Just Married" carved onto the side of the vehicle (clearly the work of his brother's alchemy) and drove off into the sunset.


End file.
